* CoveredUp: ** Springsteen didn't write "Jersey Girl", Music/TomWaits did on his album ''Music/HeartattackAndVine''.** "Blinded By The Light", which became the signature song of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, is actually a cover of the "first" Springsteen song, as it opens his debut album.** An odd case with "Because the Night". He wrote it, then gave it to Music/PattiSmith, who rewrote some of the verses and released it as a hit single on her album ''Music/{{Easter}}''. He later released his version (which means his is ''technically'' the cover), and they are credited as cowriters. (To make things even ''more'' confusing, Springsteen and Smith often sing each other's version of the lyrics, or a blend of the two, for fun. This is what happens when two great singer-songwriters are good friends.)** "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is now probably better known in the rather different Music/RageAgainstTheMachine version.** "Pink Cadillac" is not a Natalie Cole-written song, though she did pretty much make it her own.* CreatorThumbprint: Springsteen incorporates imagery and metaphors related to amusement parks, fairgrounds and carnivals (he called one album ''Tunnel Of Love''). [[WriteWhatYouKnow Appropriate as it was the Jersey Shore where Bruce developed a following]] in TheSixties.** Cars also turn up frequently, as the CoolCar entry on the main page points out.** As does travel. ''Glory Days'', for instance, begins with a mention of a truck-stop bar, and ''Jungleland'' begins with a "magic rat" crossing the Jersey state line. Within "travel", crossing county or state lines is common, presumably because this represents moving from one thing to the next.* [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]: "Working on a Dream".** "The Wish", an autobiographical song about his mom buying him a guitar for Christmas: "Well, tonight I'm takin' requests here in the kitchen, this one's for you, ma, let me come right out and say it, it's overdue, but baby, if you're looking for a sad song, well, I ain't gonna play it!"** As noted on ''Heartwarming/TheDailyShow'' page, Jon Stewart dedicating [[http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-20-2011/moment-of-zen---remembering-clarence-clemons the Moment of Zen]] to Clarence Clemons after the Big Man's passing.** Also Bruce's own tribute to the Big Man in the liner notes of ''Wrecking Ball''.** The story about his father while introducing "The River" on the ''Live 1975-85'' set.** "Terry's Song."** "The Rising."* [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Crowning Music of Awesome]]: His section is [[AwesomeMusic/{{Rock}} here]].* EnsembleDarkHorse: [[TheBigGuy The Big Man]], Clarence Clemons. Always introduced last, to the loudest applause. You could usually hear, on live recordings, a swell in the crowd noise when he got a solo. Also TheStoic and usually TheVoiceless, although he could and sometimes did sing.** Steve Van Zandt could claim this now, but for very [[Series/TheSopranos unmusical]] [[{{Lilyhammer}} reasons]].** Clemons sometimes toured on his own with a band called "The Big Man's Temple of Soul". And his shows were every bit as intense as Bruce's.** Album variant: ''Magic,'' which had only two singles (neither of them hits) and was (allegedly) denied radio airplay by major radio stations, still managed to become his fastest-selling album of the decade thanks to its fan-favorite tracks like "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" and "Long Walk Home."* EpicRiff:** "Born to Run"** "Thunder Road" (Harmonica)** "Backstreets" (Piano)** Jungleland (Piano/Violin)** "Born in the U.S.A." (Synthesizer/Piano)** The new version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" highlights a killer banjo / acoustic guitar riff.** "Last to Die" (guitar; violin/keyboard live)** "Radio Nowhere" (guitar)** "Dancing in the Dark" (synthesizer/guitar)** "Hungry Heart" (piano)** "Badlands" (organ)* [[FirstInstallmentWins First Big Hit Wins]]: ''Born to Run'' is easily his most popular song, and it is also one of his earliest.* HoYay: Played for laughs with guitarist [[Series/TheSopranos Steve Van Zandt]].** Seeing as "Bobby Jean" is about Steve leaving the band in the eighties, not ''just'' for laughs...** He used to close "Thunder Road" by sliding across the stage, ending up [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything on his knees]] in front of Clarence Clemons, who would proceed to kiss him passionately.** Clemons had a girlfriend who dumped him because she thought he was cheating on her with Bruce.* IAmNotShazam: The protagonist of "Johnny 99" is named Ralph, not Johnny. The title refers to his [[DisproportionateRetribution 99-year prison sentence for trying to rob a nightclub]], which the song is about.* ItsPopularNowItSucks: There's a contingent of hardcore fans who dismiss ''Born in the USA'' because it was too commercially successful.* LoveItOrHateIt* MemeticBadass: Clarence. The story of how he joined the band: They were playing in a small club on a rather stormy night, he showed up and accidentally tore the door off its hinges and told Bruce "I want to play with your band."** According to legend, Bruce's response was, "...uh, you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT, man..."* MemeticMolester: "I'm On Fire".* MisaimedFandom: How many times has "Born in the USA" been trotted out on July 4th or otherwise associated with some form of patriotism?** "Born in the USA" got used in Republican campaigns during the 80s. Needless to say (given his political views), The Boss was not impressed...** "Born to Run" is considered one of New Jersey state's songs despite it being about, in Springsteen's own words, "about leaving Jersey.".*** Notably, at the time, working-class [[CrapsackWorld Freehold,]] which he also somewhat bittersweetly skewers in My Hometown, and In Freehold.* NightmareFuel: The last few lines of "Magic": ''On the road the sun is sinkin' low / Bodies hanging in the trees / This is what what will be / This is what will be...''** From "Hey Blue Eyes," The line "in this house there's just the dust of bones, the basement's filled with lye." ''Very'' disturbing imagery.* RetroactiveRecognition: Conan O'Brien's drummer used to be in a rock band?----